Lurkers and rookies please post here

[jokin]

I'm probably one of the younger members on here (16) but when I saw this thread I thought it would be a great time to make my first post. I've been a Twins fan ever since I watched Johan Santana throw that gem in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS. (Ironically that's the last playoff game they've won). I loved Johan and almost cried when they traded him. He is a FA this winter and I 100% think they should bring him back. He has had a lot of injuries with the Mets and will most likely never be the Ace he once was, but he would still be a great low risk/high reward signing. It would be a huge PR boost for an org that has taken a beating lately. He would most likely sell out Target Field quick if he ever made a start. He would provide lefty pitching depth which is probably our biggest need. At the very least Johan would be a great veteran presence for the younger pitchers to learn from. And he can strike guys out which is always good. That is all.

 

Welcome LIS! Your post gives me hope that at least in some quarters, our education system still teaches proper grammatical usage (only one adjective/adverb misstep on "quick" in your entire post, most of us make worse mistakes in every sentence) and how to convey your thoughts effectively. I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll be writing your own blog some day soon, but please stay around, I suspect you have a lot to offer here!

[gil4]

Almost? What's the point of being ten years old if you can't cry when they trade your ace?

 

He's sixteen now - not allowed to admit it.

[Let It Sano]

He's sixteen now - not allowed to admit it.

 

All right maybe a sob and a tear... or three.

[Let It Sano]

Welcome LIS! Your post gives me hope that at least in some quarters, our education system still teaches proper grammatical usage (only one adjective/adverb misstep on "quick" in your entire post, most of us make worse mistakes in every sentence) and how to convey your thoughts effectively. I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll be writing your own blog some day soon, but please stay around, I suspect you have a lot to offer here!

 

Haha thanks! I think I'll be here to stay. Also, props to whoever designed the mobile site. It's pretty great.

[Blackjack]

This is a great site, I followed Seth over here from his site but I’ve become more of a lurker because of:

 

1) The Negativity. Someone else mentioned it and I thought I’d second the thought. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t read the comments, or if I do I just skim thru and read the ones from the original founders.

2) Lack of tolerance for lack of baseball knowledge. I participate in a lot of other forums on fishing, hunting, farming, etc. and everyone is always very helpful, not here, I’ve been blasted for posting something ‘stupid’. That keeps me from replying to posts, I just lurk instead.

3) English lessons. I’ve been blasted for using the wrong argument, had ‘Occam’s razor’ thrown at me – what difference does it make? Is this a Twins baseball forum or an English lesson forum?? Again it inhibits posting.

 

It IS a very informative site, I’ve learned a lot about baseball, and I never used to follow the Twins minor league system. Keep up the good work!!

 

Side note to the administrators, you need more horsepower, the site is getting slow to load...

[Jim Crikket]

Some really great "first posts."

 

CRF_EC, I certainly hope that's not your last post. This site needs more participation from people for whom Tony, the Killer and Carew are more than just pictures in a book of Twins history. I think we can bring some perspective occasionally to all these "kids"!

[JB_Iowa]

2) Lack of tolerance for lack of baseball knowledge. I participate in a lot of other forums on fishing, hunting, farming, etc. and everyone is always very helpful, not here, I’ve been blasted for posting something ‘stupid’. That keeps me from replying to posts, I just lurk instead....

 

Side note to the administrators, you need more horsepower, the site is getting slow to load...

 

Always feel free to join me in saying something "stupid", I do it quite often. I just cannot get into the advanced stats that people like to throw around. I can learn from them but I will never really absorb them. But there is room for a lot of different perspectives so I hope you'll post from time to time. (And, if you just want to post for fun, go into the game chats on occasion once the season starts again. )

 

The mods are really working to clamp down on some of the things that you complain about (a little too much for me sometimes because it stops the flow of the thread but it does seem to have paid off in a little more civility).

 

And I agree that the site has gotten slow although to add to that, it seems a little more sporadic to me and not necessarily when people are posting a lot so I don't get it.

[ashbury]

All right maybe a sob and a tear... or three.

 

In another five years, you'll look back and say, "hey, I wasn't three or anything - when ten year olds cry it's only about the *important* things".

[zchrz]

But comments wouldn't go through for me, so I will try again. I am a displaced twins fan from MN living in CA, and I work at a sports bar so I have had to watch Giants fans celebrate their world series, the Niners fans celebrate getting to the super bowl (and then watching their spirits crushed), and now the Dodgers run all while bemoaning how many damn sports teams there are in this state and how none of the MN ones I root for are any good at the moment (holding out hope for the Wolves). I thought Gardy should have been let go but it isn't a disaster hes back, I wonder if it was a move to ease Mauer's transition to first, it might have been a more difficult sell if it was a new staff telling him to hang up the catching gear. I have hopes of improvement for 2014 though I think playoffs is a pretty long shot, once the kids are here and seasoned though things will get interesting. I hope the Pohland's are not just blowing smoke about spending money, they need to acquire some legit major league starters so there is a culture of winning for the prospects to come up too. I really hope they do not bring Pelfrey back, I can't handle watching him pitch. Oh and Pat Neshek is definitely my favorite Twin of all time, moar submarine please.

[lyndon]

I'm a long time lurker here and will definitely admit I don't have the baseball IQ of a lot of people on here, so I'm thankful for all the stats figured out by others. I too have a lot of hope for the future because of the farm. For now our pitching is pretty unbelievably bad though. But I think that can change. I heard someone say this about politics but I think it applies to sports too, "Things are never as good or bad as they seem." So there is definitely hope.

 

And about the Twins WS in 87 and 91 I have a very different take. Back then when I was a kid I lived in Canada and was a Jays fan. I remember really hating the Twins after they beat "my" Jays in the ALCS in 91. Then the Jays won in 92 and 93 and I basically forgot about baseball for 10 years and didn't follow it. As destiny would have it I moved to Minnesota in 03. A buddy of mine was a huge Twins fan and I quickly found myself falling in love with the Twins. Each year got me more into it especially 06. In 2010 I found myself addicted to the Twins and watched almost every game! The irony is that all the teams I cheer for usually suck, and out of my favorite teams, the last team in any sport to win a championship is a team I could care less about now and the team I care about now won championships exactly when I didn't care about them. Oh well, someday. Cheers

[Han Joelo]

I arrived here via Bill Simmons-Batgirl-Gleeman-Seth and the rest of the crew. Really enjoy the content. Thanks for the site. Now how about some AFL content already!!!

[Ultima Ratio]

 

Side note to the administrators, you need more horsepower, the site is getting slow to load...

 

I'll second that. Slowest site I visit.

[twinsnorth49]

Almost? What's the point of being ten years old if you can't cry when they trade your ace?

 

10!!? I cried, and I was.....ummm, older than 10.

[twinsnorth49]

And about the Twins WS in 87 and 91 I have a very different take. Back then when I was a kid I lived in Canada and was a Jays fan. I remember really hating the Twins after they beat "my" Jays in the ALCS in 91.

 

Thanks for bringing this up, it's one of my favourite Twins memories of all time. As almost all of my friends are Jays fans, it allowed for some of the best gloating I've ever had.

[MC23]

I stumbled on this site near the beginning of the season and have come back daily to read the articles as well as hear everyone's opinion on the minor league players. I've been a Twins fan since day 1, but the game that changed everything and made me a huge Twins fan was game 4 of the 2002 ALDS against the Athletics. My dad and I happened to be downtown before the game and he decided to see if we could get in. We got cheap seats in the upper deck (behind the rolled up curtain). In the fourth inning the Twins broke the 2-2 tie with a 7 run inning. The Twins ended up winning the game 11-2 which tied the series at 2 game apiece. The crowd went absolutely crazy during that 7 run inning. As an 11 year old kid at this game, the Twins had me hooked.

 

Anyways, on to my views on a few minor league players. I saw Buxton play in early June in Cedar Rapids. He looks absolutely incredible. No doubt one of the fastest players I have seen in person. I regret not going to see him more when he was still in CR. It will be interesting to see what he can do next season in the minors. Spring Training will be something to watch closely. If Sano puts up a monster Spring Training, will the Twins give him a shot from the beginning or will they take it slow and start him at AAA? (Let's please not start the Sano isn't Hicks argument again). Speaking of Hicks, I haven't given up on him; I think he can turn into a very good MLB player. I hope to see him up next year.

 

Thanks to everyone who keeps this site going. I might not post too often, but I will be here daily to keep up with the latest Twins news.

[DAM DC Twins Fans]

This is a great site, I followed Seth over here from his site but I’ve become more of a lurker because of:

 

1) The Negativity. Someone else mentioned it and I thought I’d second the thought. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t read the comments, or if I do I just skim thru and read the ones from the original founders.

2) Lack of tolerance for lack of baseball knowledge. I participate in a lot of other forums on fishing, hunting, farming, etc. and everyone is always very helpful, not here, I’ve been blasted for posting something ‘stupid’. That keeps me from replying to posts, I just lurk instead.

3) English lessons. I’ve been blasted for using the wrong argument, had ‘Occam’s razor’ thrown at me – what difference does it make? Is this a Twins baseball forum or an English lesson forum?? Again it inhibits posting.

 

It IS a very informative site, I’ve learned a lot about baseball, and I never used to follow the Twins minor league system. Keep up the good work!!

 

Side note to the administrators, you need more horsepower, the site is getting slow to load...

 

My story is a little different--I came via the Bat Girl, Howard Sinker route...I love the minor league stuff on this site and adapted two prospects in 2013.

 

Lately I have gotten frustrated by some of the comments and negativity and have started posting less...this site is the SLOWEST to lead of all sites I visit and I find that very frustrating.

 

I will continue to visit and read stuff that Seth and Nick post. I have started just skimming comments, I may become more of a lurker and not sure I will adapt another prospect.

[tbrossi]

I'm, an off and on lurker, found though Bonnes on KFAN and G & G. I follow Parker and Seth on Twitter. Great site for minors info.

 

Here's my take. Terry Ryan needs to buy pitchers this off season if he wants fans to care next season.

 

He has used trades, rule 5 draft, 1st year player draft and the waiver claim process well.

 

I don't want the Twins to used the minor league talent they have worked so hard to build up, to give it away via trade. I feel Terry Ryan is like the old guy who still remembers when candy bars were a nickel. You just have to pay for talent. You need more big league talent. Don't give away the talent/prospects you have. Take a shot at Phil Hughes and Tim Linsecum... and get them. Or wow us by getting Tanaka. Don't just say you were in on them. The fans will forgive you if you overspend on starting pitching. Build a bridge to the talent that is coming and we won't have to be so depressed when they may struggle out of the gate i.e Gibson.

 

Is it unreasonable to ask that the Twins use the money they didn't spend this year and roll it over into next year, in addition to just adding to the payroll from last year?

[JB_Iowa]

I'm the same age as Terry Ryan.

 

I remember "lunch bars" -- 3 cents!

[lyndon]

It's hard to imagine cheering for the Jays now. BTW twinsnorth are you from Manitoba? It seems like there's a decent number of Twins fans up there? I grew up in Swan River.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

So you hit a home run in your first and only at bat, then you retire? Teaser!

 

I understand your dislike for the negativity and the bickering. The moderators are working hard to reduce the bickering. The negativity is another matter. We have some members who are generally negative and critical, and other members who are generally positive and supportive of the FO. We are trying to foster intelligent, respectful debate that includes the extremists from both ends of the spectrum, and that means that there will continue to be some posts that are annoyingly negative. There will also be posts that some people find annoyingly positive.

 

I am grateful for your post. Even our senior moderators have been doing this for less than a year. We are all rookies and we are learning as we go. Your input and AshburyJohn's response have crystallized some ideas in my mind and I hope that you will let us know if you find a better bar -- we are open to learning from the success of others.

 

I'd like to think I've hit 1,000HRs, but if this is the standard well....

[twinsnorth49]

It's hard to imagine cheering for the Jays now. BTW twinsnorth are you from Manitoba? It seems like there's a decent number of Twins fans up there? I grew up in Swan River.

 

Yup, I'm a born and bred Winnipegger, nice to see another 'Toban aboard. I spent a week in Swan River one afternoon (Harry Chapin credit).

You're right, there is a fair number of Twins fans in Manitoba, it's surprising how much Twins merch you see being worn here, I sometimes think we out number Jays fans in these parts, some of my friends aside.

My Grandfather was a huge Killebrew fan and my love for the team was born from that, I've never taken to the Jays, I've only been to a couple of games in TO but have seen the Twins countless times in all 3 stadiums, they are a much more natural team to root for due to the proximity and realistic opportunity to attend games.

 

My second team was the Expos, I always had a soft spot for them and was a big Steve Rogers fan, it was sad when they left.

[lyndon]

Yes! I loved the Expos! I actually probably liked them more than the Jays. It's just they never got anywhere.

[Reider]

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 9 years old, sitting on my living room floor in Regina, Sk, Canada watching Kirby Puckett make an amazing catch against the plexi glass at the Metrodome, then later, the game winning home run to force a game 7 in the 1991 World Series. I had never seen such an amazing performance before.

 

Up until this point my parents would usually make the 3 day drive to Phoenix, Arizona for spring training baseball. But after the 1991 World Series, things changed. In 1992 we made the 12 or 13 hour drive to Minneapolis to watch baseball instead. We ended up having such a great time that we have been going back (not every year, but many years) ever since. My dad and I have become die hard Twins fans and our family enjoys going back to Minnesota every chance we get.

 

We have seen dozens of live Twins games at the Metrodome and Target Field in the 20+ years that we have been going there. We have seen and met a lot of great Twins players over the years. And in general, whether it's watching live sporting events, shopping, going to the zoo, or just going out on the town, Minnesota has been great to us. The people of Minnesota are friendly and we always look forward to our next trip down south.

 

It's been tough watching the Twins over the last 3 years and I"m sure the next couple years will be tough as well. However, I really hope the Twins become contenders in the next few years. I hope the front office isn't afraid to spend $ once the young guys are established MLB players. I'm about as die hard of a fan as you can find, but even I have to admit that it's painful watching the front office kick the can down the road like they are currently doing.

[twinsnorth49]

Yes! I loved the Expos! I actually probably liked them more than the Jays. It's just they never got anywhere.

 

Who knows how history could have turned out differently if that cursed strike of '94 never happened.

[AHSaves]

I am the definition of a lurker. I read this site every day and have my own account. I feel like I'm in break-up mode since I don't have minor league updates in my life. My guess at my lack of posts is that I grew up in a strange time in Twins history (born in 86). My remembered golden days are the almost perennial pink slip from the Yankee in the playoffs. I cant imagine how it felt to go to bed knowing game 7 was tomorrow! Now I've watched a slow slip into mediocrity (and worse) and all the negativity already exist without my comments.

 

After reading a few other threads I believe we should model ourselves after the A's. Not necessarily flipping talent so fast and worrying about a budget, but building in a way to catch lightning in a bottle and ride that electricity into the playoffs. I might guess our championship teams weren't so different. Yes, a dynasty would be wonderful but the Twins don't seem to have that mindset.

 

Sign Josh Johnson to a one year 9MM with crazy incentives. That ace potential with our pitchers park seems worth it then hopefully resign him if there's mutual interest. Get Phil Hughes for 3 years since he's relatively young. Not sure how much cause I feel his salary is going to be inflated. Next, get Kazmir as well! Solid history (though TR doesn't pay for it and Lincecum is trending negatively for me to name him) and shouldn't be too expensive. I'd go 6-8MM for a number of years offset of Hughes. Last, sign Aledmys Diaz, Cuban SS. Those moves probably exhaust our extra payroll but, at face value, seem to address short and long term goals as the minor league cavalry are on their way.

 

Thanks if you read this. Haha.

[70charger]

I have a reason for taking you on a trip down my memory lane. Since the season has ended (at times during the season), most of the discussion here at TwinsDaily has taken a negative, many times aggressive tone. Quoting dictionary definitions and having moderators have to give out warnings on regular basis is a bit over the top for me. I don’t want to give the impression that I don’t think there should be discussion on both sides of a topic. That is the root of all sports fans. I will say that if your only measure of success for the Twins is to make the playoffs, win the playoffs, and win the World Series, you probably are in for a lot of disappointment. I don’t say that because it’s the Twins – There were 20 teams in the same boat this year. I can’t help but fear that the disappointment will diminish your overall Twins experience and cloud the memories that come with it.

 

I’ve been trying to find an analogy… Being at TwinsDaily is like going with friends to a Bar to discuss the Twins. Everyone will have an opinion and there will be disagreements. If there is that one friend that is always negative and repeats the same arguments over and over, you’d stop asking them to come to the bar with you. I know this is not the right thing to do especially with TwinsDaily. As an alternative, I can look for another bar.

 

This more or less describes why, despite my post count, I'm basically a lurker these days too. Sometimes it's difficult to contain my frustration with the same old crap over and over again.

 

Though I have found the ignore function to be a ridiculously useful tool. There's still a lot of good content here, and it helps not to have sort through the usual suspects. I also tend to spend more time over on the minor league side of things. It's nicer there.

[Seth Stohs]

The biggest reason I come to the site is that one of my best friends in high school was Seth Stohs and I really enjoy checking up on him since we don't have a chance to talk very much anymore. Seth stood up for me at my wedding like 19 years ago and I have always had a lot of respect for him as a person.

 

19 years ago... man, you're old!! Ha!!

[Mike Sixel]

What a great thread. Thanks everyone.

[Seth Stohs]

This is a great site, I followed Seth over here from his site but I’ve become more of a lurker because of:

 

1) The Negativity. Someone else mentioned it and I thought I’d second the thought. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t read the comments, or if I do I just skim thru and read the ones from the original founders.

2) Lack of tolerance for lack of baseball knowledge. I participate in a lot of other forums on fishing, hunting, farming, etc. and everyone is always very helpful, not here, I’ve been blasted for posting something ‘stupid’. That keeps me from replying to posts, I just lurk instead.

3) English lessons. I’ve been blasted for using the wrong argument, had ‘Occam’s razor’ thrown at me – what difference does it make? Is this a Twins baseball forum or an English lesson forum?? Again it inhibits posting.

 

It IS a very informative site, I’ve learned a lot about baseball, and I never used to follow the Twins minor league system. Keep up the good work!!

 

Side note to the administrators, you need more horsepower, the site is getting slow to load...

 

Great feedback. I really do appreciate the feedback, and I 100% agree with all of it. One of the fears I had, and I honestly don't think there is a realistic solution, was as a site gets bigger and more populated, the comments can become a horrible experience. Frankly, I don't participate in as many forum discussions as I used to because of 1.) the negativity, 2.) the name calling and 3.) the inability to get over things. But I definitely appreciate our forum moderators who are doign a great job trying to keep it respectable. I've never understood why some commenters feel the need to be confrontational, especially in discussing a game like baseball where there are so few absolutes.

 

I wish I had come to this forum sooner. These have been great to read. The stories, and the feedback. For what it's worth, I welcome people to message me any time you have a question or something you feel needs to be brought up.

 

Thank you all!

[Seth Stohs]

Always feel free to join me in saying something "stupid", I do it quite often. I just cannot get into the advanced stats that people like to throw around. I can learn from them but I will never really absorb them. But there is room for a lot of different perspectives so I hope you'll post from time to time. (And, if you just want to post for fun, go into the game chats on occasion once the season starts again. )

 

The mods are really working to clamp down on some of the things that you complain about (a little too much for me sometimes because it stops the flow of the thread but it does seem to have paid off in a little more civility).

 

And I agree that the site has gotten slow although to add to that, it seems a little more sporadic to me and not necessarily when people are posting a lot so I don't get it.

 

I agree on the site speed, and it's something we look at a lot.

 

As for the advanced stats, I do find that to be an interesting topic. I think about the TwinsCentric writers and reading their/our stories. I know I typically will only use BA/OBP/SLG (OPS), maybe occasionally WAR. I don't know that the other writers use them real frequently either.

 

This is making me think because often the term "blogger" is used in conjunction with "Stathead" or those types of terms, and I don't know if that's always true. There are times, but not too much. I'm kind of wondering as I'm typing this if we read more Advanced Stats in the Comments section than in the stories themselves. Interesting. I'll have to think about that going forward.